19 minutes
GEORGE TOWN: Construction workers at a development site near here may have stumbled upon items which could be linked to the mysterious disappearance of Australian grandmother Annapuranee Jenkins some three years ago.
The workers, who requested anonymity, had reportedly reached out to Annapuranee’s family in Australia to inform them that they came across an asthma inhaler, Australian coins, toiletries from the hotel she stayed at in Penang, a purse and some ringgit notes.
There were also claims of some clothing and a dental appointment card being found.
The area the discovery was made is about 5km from the spot that Annapuranee, who is called Anne, was last seen wandering at the Sri Ramakrisha Orphanage in Scotland Road on Dec 14, 2017.
Annapuranee’s son, Steven Jenkins, contacted theSun to assist the family after exhausting various avenues, which included hiring a specialist security agency from Australia to help in the investigations.
He said the items seem to resemble the things that his mother had in her personal possession before she disappeared.
The construction workers, when met claimed that the items were found by another group of workers several weeks ago but due to the movement control order (MCO), the matter was not pursued.
Steven expressed hope the authorities could help the family find answers to the case, which has been listed as a cold file despite the widespread publicity about it in both Australian and Malaysian media.
The Australian Consulate here was also seeking information on the case.
Northeast district police head Asst Comm Soffian Santong urged those in possession of the items to assist the police on this matter.
“We must admit that the trail has gone cold but the file is open and we are probing all angles. We have not received any indications that the person has fled the country, while there are hardly any relatives around to help us.”
Annapuranee went missing after visiting her mother, who was a resident at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home.
On Dec 14, Annapuranee informed her husband Frank Jenkins that she was heading for a dental appointment at a clinic in Pulau Tikus in the afternoon, after which she would book a ride to visit her mother in Batu Lanchang and then return to the hotel.
She completed her treatment and the dental staff booked her a ride to the old folk home about 5km away. But midway through the journey, she allegedly insisted on being dropped off, before walking away on her own.
She has not been seen since.
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